Means for mounting wall and ceiling paneling



Sept. 18, 1951 E. w. DUN'HAM ETAL MEANS FOR MOUNTING WALL AND CEILINGPANELING Filed Nov. 14, 1949 Patented Sept. 18, 1951 MEANS FOR MOUNTINGWALL AND CEILING PANELING Edward W. Dunham and Wallace A'. Wiegert,Floral Park, N. Y;

Application November 14, 1949, SerialfNo. 127,132

1 Claim. (Cl. ,Z0- 15) The invention here disclosed relates to themounting of wall and ceiling panels and is in the nature of animprovement on the panel securing means covered in Patent No.2,469,252issued May 3,1949.

In the patent mentioned the wall or ceiling panels, made up as preformedslabs, tiles, boards or planks, are securedover a wall face by means offurring strips nailed to the wall and clips slidably adjustable alongflanges on the furring strips and having points driven into the edges oithe panels.

The present invention is more particularly directed to the structureofthese panel holding clips.

Objects of the invention ,are to reduce the cost and simplifymanufacture. of the clips and further, toprovide a form of clip whichmay be used with equal facility on either side flange of the furringstrip and faced` in either direction, in other Words,.a.universaliformof clip adapted to be used in all the several possible ways on thefurring strip.

Other desirable objects attained by the invention and the novel featuresof construction, combination and relation of parts through which allsuch objects are attained, are set forth or will appear in the course ofthe following specification.

The drawing accompanying and forming'part of the specificationillustrates certain present practical embodiments of the invention.Structure, however, may be further modied and changed as regards theimmediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of theinvention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawing is a perspective view of a length of furring stripand two oppositely faced panel clips positioned ready for engagementover the flanges along the opposite sides of the furring strip, thelatter shown in section and being broken away at one end;

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the clips adjustably engaged over theside flangesI of the furring strip;

Fig. 3 is a broken cross sectional detail on substantially the plane ofline 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 2, showing a universal typeof clip construction and the different ways it may be used on thefurring strip.

In the drawing a furring strip of sheet metal like that disclosed in thepatent identified is shown, having a central, depressed, longitudinallyextending trough or groove 1 for accommodating theheadsof the nailsusedin fastening the strip over thewall, and laterallyextending sideiianges 8;. and @for supporting the paneling and for carrying the clipswhich secure` the paneling. over` the` face of-.thestrip. l

Two of the new clipsare shown in Fig. 1, hav-A ing tile engaging prongsIU in spaced, substanf tially` parallel relation across the flat,substantially rectangular base portion II ofthe clip.

These prongs` are formedby extending one.. edge portionof therbase,`as-at l2, toprovide the necessary offset and `then bending the prongforming material portion of this extensioninto substantially parallel`relation over the face:of thebase.

The substantially square base portion II is slittedinward from oneedge-along generally parallel lines I3, I4, to provide an intermediatetongue portion libetween separated sections of. the base and connectedwith thefbase by a slight offset` I6, serving'to dispose the-tongue in.sub-` stantially parallel relation closely offset fromv the back of thebase.

Thespacing of` this offset, asindicated` at Il; is approximately or evenslightly less` than: the thickness of theside anges 8f, 9, of thefurring strip, so that `when the-base of theclipfis` slipped overtlfiefront` of these flanges theitonguef I5v will actas a spring jawyieldingly and frictionally engaging the .backf of fthesflange.

This yielding `frictional engagement is suffi-- cient-to hold the clipin `position on `the' flangeand yet permit the clip'toxbefslid along theflange on being driven with a hammer or the like into securingengagement with the edge portion of an overlying wall panel.

This possibility of sliding along the furring strip flanges enables theprongs of the clips to be fully embedded in the edge portions of thepanels for rmly securing the panels and for completely concealing theclips from view.

The securing tongues I5 are shown cut in from one edge of the base tonearly the far opposite edge of the base so as to afford a substantialfrictional grip on the furring strip flange, and these tongues arefurther shown as of substantial width, taking up the greater portion ofthe width of the base to promote substantial gripping engagement on thefurring strip iiange.

Fig. 2 shows how two of the same form of clip may be engaged on oppositeside flanges of the furring strip with the prongs of the two clips facedtoward each other to grip opposite edges of a panel seated on thefurring strip. Thus, where both flanges of the furring strip are acecessibie, the saine/form of clip may be used to hold opposite edges of apanel or tile. Where only one flange is available, an alternate form ofclip may be used with the prongs I extended rfrom the directly oppositeedge of the base. These two forms of the clip may be considered asrights and lefts, to be used as required in various installations.

A universal type of clip is shown in Fig. 4, in which the base portionIla is elongated and companion, oppositely extending tongues Ia, l5b,are cut in from the opposite edges of the elongated base, available forengagement with either flange of the furring strip regardless of the wayin which the securing prongs are faced.

Thus, as indicated, this one style of clip may be used in all thevarious positions required on the furring strip.

Both the single and the double form of clip have the advantage that theymay be made of inexpensive sheet metal and produced in a simple stampingand slitting operation, with inexpensive and relatively simple diemechanism. Also, a minimum amount of material is required since thesecuring tongues are struck out of the intermediate body portion of theflat base of the clip.

The nail receiving trough sunk in the metal of the furring strip formsan embossment which Iby engagement with the wall surface serves tolocate the flat, narrow edge flanges of the strip in close,substantially parallel relation at the front`of the wall structure.

To facilitate quick, easy engagement of the clips over the supportinganges, the corners of the spring holding tongues may be bent backsubstantially as indicated at I3. This is of particular value where theclips are made of fairly heavy sheet material and are biased to afford astrong, spring holding grip, since these inclined corners may then actas small wedges assisting in opening the spring ngers sufficiently toengage them over the supporting flanges.

In both forms of the invention illustrated the panel engaging prongsproject from an edge of the substantially rectangular base plate whichis substantially at a right angle to that edge from which the springholding tongue projects. The prongs and tongue thus project at rightangles to each other so that in driving the prongs into the edge of thewall panel the clip can slide in self-adjusting relation along thesupporting flange of the furring strip.

What is claimed is:

A clip for securing Wall paneling on a furririg strip of thin, fiatmaterial having a central nail penetrable portion for at attachment overa wall structure and forwardly offset, thin, fiat flanges along theedges of the same at opposite sides of said central nailing portion andsupported thereby in closely spaced, substantially parallel, forwardlyoffset relation in front of the wall structure over which the furringstrip is secured, and comprising a wall panel supporting clip forengagement over one ofthe edge ilanges of said furring strip andincluding a flat piece of thin, springy sheet metal having asubstantially rectangular base portion engageable over the front of oneof said edge anges, said base portion being slitted inward from one edgein generally parallel lines defining an intermediate spring tonguebetween separated sections of the base, said intermediate spring tonguebeing cifset rearwardly at the back of said base portion a distanceapproximating the thickness of said edge iianges for engagement over theback of said edge flanges to yieldingly confine the base portion inslidable engagement on said anges and said base portion further having aforwardly offset extension at one edge of the same terminating in a wallpanel penetrating point projecting in closely spaced, substantiallyparallel relation across the front of said base portion in positionV forentry in the edge of a wall panelplaced inV supported engagement overthe front of said furring strip, and said base portion further beingslit inwardly from the opposite edge and in the opposite direction fromthe first mentioned slits, providing a second, reversely extendingtongue enabling complete reversal and use of the clip in Variouspositions on both edge flanges of the furring strip.

EDWARD W. DUNHAM. WALLACE A. WIEGERT.

REFERENCES CITED` A The following references are of record in the illeof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '734,275 Lyon July 21, 19032,469,252 Wiegert v May 3, 1949

